President of PSB Pusan Broadcasting Was Summoned Today

Senior prosecutor of the Supreme Public Prosecutor’s Office, Ahn Dae-hee, who is investigating illegal fund raising for the presidential election, plans to summon Lee Hak-su, Samsung group’s chairman of restructuring, and Kim In-ju, vice-president, either today or tomorrow.

Regarding the scandals surrounding President Roh, the prosecution is also expected to summon and investigate Kang Byoung-jung, chairman of Nexen and Pusan Broadcasting, as a secret examinee on November 26.

The prosecution will investigate whether Lee Hak-su, Samsung group’s chairman of restructuring, raised illegal funds at Samsung Group last year or if he delivered some of the funds to both the government party and the opposition party.

Prior to this, the prosecution summoned Kang Ho-moon, president of Samsung Electronics, and Choi Byoung-su, president of Dongyang Electronic Co. Ltd, and allowed them to return home after investigating the suspicion of Samsung’s illegal fund raising.

It has been reportedly said that the prosecution had investigated whether President Kang raised illegal funds through the dealing of parts with Dongyang Electronic Co. Ltd, but they did not find clues that President Kang provided illegal presidential funds during last year’s election campaign. The prosecution is also expected to summon LG Chairman, Koo Bon-moo, in regards to LG’s suspicion of delivering presidential election funds, sooner or later.

The prosecution sources said there are more companies on which the prosecution has not started a full-scale investigation, in addition to the approximately 10 conglomerates which are still under investigation including Samsung, LG, SK, Hyundai Motor, Lotte, Kumho, Hanjin and Doosan.

“The fact of delivering illegal presidential campaign funds was captured, but we cannot say that there are no companies in which we did not start to investigate yet,” said Moon Hyo-nam, an investigator of the Supreme Public Prosecutor’s Office.

Meanwhile, according to the prosecution sources, the president Kang that the prosecution is expected to summon regarding scandals of President Roh’s surroundings, was president of Pusan Chamber of Commerce and Industry during last year’s presidential campaign and is related to the suspicion of the absurdity of Choi Do-sul, the former close aid to President Roh Moo-hyun.

The prosecution has planned to investigate intensively whether president Kang provided Choi Do-sul with large amounts of funds before and after the presidential election when he appeared at the Supreme Public Prosecutor’s Office.

Wi-Yong Jung Jin-Kyun Kil viyonz@donga.com leon@donga.com